THAT DARK TROUBLING DAY

It is ever present on my mind. Living in Northern Minnesota, one knows that very soon the riding season will come to an end. It may be very abrupt with a early snow storm in October or it may be a gradual process with heavy frost in the morning causing the avid biker to wait till mid-morning to ride.

The beautiful Autumn days can lull a biker into a state of mind that dismisses the inevitable approaching winter. The color soaked trees and the unseasonably warm days in the 60's are some of the best riding days of the year.  

Since I am a safety nut who dresses for an accident, temperate weather suites me just fine. On a unseasonably warm day in the summer when bikers are in T- shirts and I have all my Aerostitch gear on and a full face helmet, I'm  quite sure people think "that guy is crazy!" So now that the morning temps are in the 30's, as I ride into town being geared up doesn't look that strange.

This coming week the morning temperatures will be in the low 30's and that introduces the possibility of the roadways having patches of frost especially on freeway overpasses. Riding in the late fall does require discretion and some critical thinking. Sadly I come up short in both areas, so hopefully my wife will intervene when necessary and talk some sense into me.

This year I think I am primed for riding late into the season. I'm not ready to say the season is over, so I expect that I will have some very cold rides and possibly a few on dicey roads. But I doubt I will break my all time record set in 2010 when I rode to work on November 16 in 3 inches of snow. But one never knows.....I am capable of doing stupid things and I really love riding motorcycles!

ASK KICKSTAND

Ask Kickstand is an email advice column dedicated to motorcycle questions. These questions can be technical; regrading mechanical issues, safety related, philosophical, spiritual or relationship issues. 

Disclaimer: Kickstand is not a psychiatrist, a professional mechanic, Motorcycle Safety Trainer, pastor or a social worker. If a reader chooses to follow Kickstand's advice it is with the understanding that neither Kickstand nor the Nobody Motorcycle Club will be held liable.

Dear Kickstand,

I am a middle aged man who is content with my life. I have a good marriage, reasonable job and grown-up children who are doing well. My friends and family see me as a steady dependable person, which I am, but I have a problem. For many years I have been reading motorcycle magazines on the sly. No one, including my wife, has any idea that I have a passion for motorcycles. It really has not caused any problems in my life, until  several months ago. I took my passion to a new level by going to a motorcycle dealership in another town. It was fantastic! My intent was to just stop by and see the real thing. I ended up spending two hours looking at bikes and talking to a sales person. I surprised myself by how much knowledge I had retained from the years of motorcycle reading. I also impressed the sales person. It all seemed so harmless, but the flood gates opened up; I have been going to the dealership weekly,I have taken a the Motorcycle Safety Course and got my licence! Yesterday morning I woke up in my car. I was parked in my driveway and had evidently had a late night at the motorcycle dealership. Thankfully it was Saturday so I wasn't going to be late for work, but I found a key for a motorcycle in my pocket and a purchase agreement. That is when I remembered a little more about  my wild Friday night. I had bought a 2015 Triumph Trophy SE! No regrets about the purchase, but the problem is explaining it to my wife. I have a week until I need to pick up the bike, Financially the purchase is not a problem, so my wife will not be stressed about that. I just don't know how to tell her. I need your help!

Sincerely,

Secret Cycle Lover


Dear Secret Cycle Lover,

First off congratulations on your purchase and your exciting secret life. You have a problem for sure, but the good new is that you have many different options to consider.

1. Hide the bike in the garage for a week then move it into the open. When your wife sees it, simply tell her you have had the bike for a long time and didn't realize  she didn't know about it.

2. Rent a garage near by and never tell her.

3. Hide the bike in the garage and over a period of a month start getting interested in motorcycling. Have your wife go with you to a motorcycle dealership and soften her up to the idea of purchasing a bike.

4. Take some ignition parts out of your cars so they suddenly stop running one Saturday morning and then come to the rescue with The Motorcycle. By the time your have figured out the car problems your wife is crazy about the motorcycle!

5. Grow a beard, let your hair get long and unkempt, and tell your wife you are hanging out at some wild motorcycle bar. Talk about how you think you missed the boat living such a conventional life and that  it is time for you to get a chopper and live on the wild side. She will get concerned and attempt to persuade you to get some professional help. Now you simply need to come to your senses and find a reasonable outlet for this midlife crisis ..... buy a motorcycle and do some touring!

6. Tell her the truth, but in my opinion that is too simple and lack creativity.


Let me know how things go Mr. Lover and I will share it with the hundreds of Nobodies in our club and with the tens of thousands of the blog subscribers.  

RIDING IN A FOG

Our culture generally discourages us from being in a mental state which is unaware of our surroundings. If coworkers and friends describe you as being in a fog, you will  take that as negative feedback. I personally have found such a mental state relaxing and beneficial. I am not talking about a drug induced fog, which I have no interest in, but a fog due to limited interest in the sensory input to the brain. I happen to  be gifted in this area and have an uncanny ability to go there with little effort.

There are times when being in a fog would be ill-advise such as; when using power tools, sharp instruments and shingling a roof (just to name a few). But in my opinion,  the majority of one's waking hours are good times for such a state of mind. Granted my earthly resume may not carry a lot weight for most practical people. I have never been able to hold a job for more that a week. I have been hospitalized on numerous occasions from injuries due to inattentiveness and I am well know to the Duluth police department for holding the record for motor vehicle tickets for moving violations.

That being said, I live a stress free life the majority of the time. Well to be more precise; I live a stress free life while in a fog. It isn't fun when I come out of it and have to deal with all the problems that have mounted up.

If such a life style is appealing to, I have an easy way for you to initiate you new inattentive adventure. Regretfully it is weather dependent. The next foggy day take a ride on your motorcycle. It is best if visibility is less than 100 feet. Don't leave your house with a plan, just start riding. Focus on the fog; it's density, movement, the different layers and varying shades. If you catch yourself drifting off to a mindless state that is a good and bad thing. It is good because  for a moment you allowed yourself to be in a fog, but it is bad because you realized what was happening and regrettably allowed yourself to become self aware again. Don't be discouraged if you continue to catch yourself drifting off. If the fog holds long enough you will eventually spend some time in a mindless state. It may mean that you get very lost or perhaps you crash your motorcycle.

Over time, with much discipline, you will eventually master the art of being in a fog. The process is slow and it may take many foggy day rides to hone your skills. If you don't live in an area that offers numerous foggy days, you may want to consider moving. Duluth is a good choice and it also offers the additional benefit of having a large number of mindless people per capita.